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Evaluating the Economic Incentives of Biomass Removal on Site Preparation for Different Harvesting Systems in Australia1.12 MB
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Evaluating the Economic Incentives of Biomass Removal on Site Preparation for Different Harvesting Systems in Australia
Forests, Vol.11(1370), pp.1-12
2020
Abstract
Research Highlights: This study evaluated the impacts of biomass recovery on site preparation costs while proposing a mathematical model and framework to catalogue the benefits depending on harvesting system. Background and Objectives: Biomass as a viable product depends on the requisite costs of production compared to the price paid by relative markets. The removal of biomass directly impacts site preparation costs, and the operational and economic ramifications of this should inform the feasibility of biomass harvesting and market viability. The relative incentives for biomass removal depend on the quantity, presentation, and location of the residues and are thus a result of the commercial sawlog harvesting system. This incentive also largely depends on the required work to prepare a site for replanting. Materials and Methods: This study developed a mathematical model to connect the concepts of site preparation, harvesting, and biomass costs and revenues to determine the maximum net revenue. This work also developed a framework for understanding and calculating the key model inputs related to site preparation and the relative economic site preparation incentive for biomass harvesting. The framework was then illustrated by using industry data from plantations in Queensland, Australia. Results and Conclusions: The analysis identified a potential reduction in site preparation costs due to biomass harvesting of USD 75–450 ha−1, with a greater incentive when using cut-to-length harvesting systems compared with whole-tree harvesting due to the greater volume of residues after cut-to-length harvesting. For example, a removal of 20 t ha−1 of recoverable biomass after cut-to-length harvesting may equate to an economic incentive of USD 22 t−1. Depending on the biomass market, this incentive may represent a significant percentage (or even exceed) the biomass market price. The combination of biomass market price plus site preparation economic incentive may make biomass an attractive market opportunity, even in challenging biomarkets.
Details
- Title
- Evaluating the Economic Incentives of Biomass Removal on Site Preparation for Different Harvesting Systems in Australia
- Authors
- Michael Berry (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Industries Research CentreJohn Sessions (Author) - Oregon State University
- Publication details
- Forests, Vol.11(1370), pp.1-12
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Date published
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.3390/f11121370
- ISSN
- 1999-4907
- Copyright note
- © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; USC Business School - Legacy; Forest Industries Research Centre; Forest Research Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99498406302621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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